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The
small municipal area of Arriate on the north and west, borders the River Guadalcobacín,
a tributary of the Guadiaro that imparts a peaceful and leafy landscape to
the lands closest to it. The rest of the territory is used mainly for olive
groves and grain fields, which share the space with fruit orchards and vegetable
gardens. The Las Cumbres (911 metres) and Salinas (954 metres) mountain ranges,
although outside the municipal boundaries, from their heights frame a zone
that, due to its location entirely within the Ronda
depression, is quite flat. For more information about property
for sale in Spain in or near Arriate please contact us.
Several caves on either side of the River Guadalcobacín reveal the presence of man in this region during the Palaeolithic period. No cave paintings have been found in them, but rather some stone axes that prove the existence of human settlement in that age. This is understandable due to the nature of the surroundings, which have an abundance of water and gentle terrain, with forests and mountains that would have made both hunting and primitive man’s first agricultural activity easier.
Its proximity to two such important sites as Acinipo and Ronda leads one to think that Arriate was the stage for more than one interesting historical event, but there is no documentation of such. The first verified fact is the battle of Arriate in 1407, when the castle commandant of Canete la Real left his fortress in the care of his son and came to the assistance of the nearby locality of Setenil, which was under threat from the Muslims. The Muslims took advantage of the occasion to attack Cañete, resulting in the death of the son of the commandant. As an act of revenge Hernando de Arias laid an ambush for the Arabic troops within the boundaries of Arriate.
It is obvious that this village has an Arabic
origin. Even the name Arriate derives from Arriadh, meaning a space with fruit
trees and flowers and which is an apparent reference to a farmstead that existed
in the place. It was not until 1630, however, that the Arriateños were
able to separate from Ronda, for which privilege
they had to pay 352,739 reals.
Fiestas
The most unusual of all the fiestas held in Arriate is undoubtedly that of
Corpus Christi, as it has been celebrated on 29 June every year since 1769,
besides which the Santísimo Sacramento (Holy Sacrament) is borne by
women. This exceptional situation (the date of Corpus Christi varies) is part
of privileges granted by Pope Clement XIV, who authorised the women to carry
the Santísimo on that set date since the men were away working in the
fields of Seville.
Another very distinctive tradition in Arriate is that of the “Auroreros”,
who are simply the members of the ancient Brotherhood of the Aurora. The tradition
consists of the members of this brotherhood travelling through the streets
of the village in the predawn hours on certain Sundays playing string and
percussion instruments. According to some students of the subject, the tunes
that they play derive from the Mozarabic “jarchas”.
At the beginning of Lent, the popular “Día de la Vieja”
(“Day of the Old Woman) is held, when the villagers travel to the country
to prepare a typical lunch in which there is no shortage of the local wine.
The La Cruz pilgrimage in early May is held at the Los Frontones hermitage.
From here, the villagers go to a place known as Pinos del Marqués,
the area where the fiesta is traditionally celebrated.
Food
Arriate’s gastronomy is based on products of the land: meats,
whether farm-raised or game, vegetables according to the season, olive oil,
flour and wine. Cocido arriateño (a local variety of meat and vegetable
stew), conejo al ajillo (rabbit with garlic) and migas (a dish made from fried
bread crumbs) are dishes native to this area, which also produces some excellent
pork products, especially chorizo en manteca (a spicy sausage in lard). Homemade
“perrunas” and rosquillo de vino (a spiral pastry made with wine)
are the most characteristic local confectionery.
How to get there:
To get to Arriate from the Costa
del Sol you must take the old N-340 or the AP-7 expressway to San Pedro
de Alcántara and there take the A-376, which leads to Ronda. There
take MA-478 to Arriate.
Tourist information:
Town Hall, Calle Cordones, 4 (29350). Telephone: 952 165 096; Fax: 952 165
141
Arriate
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